The Tamron Theater

"All of us tend to think of Tamron as a great manufacturer of optics. Let's face it, they make GREAT glass, but there's another aspect to Tamron's incredible presence in the industry. They believe in education and support for photographers who are working professionals, aspiring pros and serious hobbyists. They're all about helping you with the quality of every image you capture, from their workshops and Tailgate Tour to tech support online, Customer Service and all of their educational material.

In the Tamron Theater we're sharing videos, podcasts, guest posts and images from some of the very best artists in the world.

I'm a huge fan of photographic contests because first, they're fun to do and second, they give you a chance to fine tune your skills. While not every image you might enter was captured with a contest in mind, you tend to shoot just a differently when hoping to get a little well-deserved recognition for your skill set. You take a little more time; analyze the final image more and most important of all, unleash more of your creative spirit.

This week Tamron announced the launch of their "My Travel Exhibit" photo contest and your opportunity to win one of three outstanding Tamron lenses. Click on any of the three lenses for more information.

Plus, the winner will be featured in Tamron's newsletter, website and we'll tie it into your own Spotlight Image guest post with a link to more your work here on the SCU site.

The contest details couldn't be easier to follow...

Theme:Travel Photography Submission: Build your 3D virtual exhibit with your best travel shots taken with a Tamron lens. The winning exhibit will be selected based on overall image quality of the collection. Deadline:August 31, 2015

Everything starts with a visit and FREE registration to Tamron's My Photo Exhibits, where you can build a 3D exhibit in your own New York Soho style gallery. It's a great way to show your work and compete for recognition and grand prizes. Here's just one example by Tsotofoto, from the My Photo Exhibits site. Click on any of Tsotofoto's images and you'll be able to view the entire gallery.

Plus over the next few weeks, several of Tamron's Image Masters are going to join us here at SCU with their images, a podcast or two and great advice to help you capture and create, not only stronger images for the contest, but for your own personal gallery as well.

And, here's a perfect example of why I enjoy Tamron's support for the industry so much. The don't just launch an enter a picture photo contest, but give you the chance to build your own gallery.